A month or two ago, I was coming back from lunch and there were a few VPD officers around the block where I work. 'Wonder what the filth are doing' I remarked to the people I was with, to which they seemed nonplussed until I explained that 'the filth' was actually slang for the police in the UK. I think they were moderately shocked by this and found it a little offensive. I guess it is a little bit offensive when you think about it but this didn't stop those same people using the phrase on occasion since.

Anyway, I know there are a few coppers that post on here (rae, dboy), and so was wondering what the Canadian equivalent is? I hope it's not pigs, cos that's lame.

I hope its not mounties, cos that even lamer!

Canadians have too much respect for authority to veer too far from "Cops" I suspect.

i think this description and level of animosity for not particular reason other than it may be 'cool' in some quarters does not exist here. po po, cops, pigs occasionally, thats about it.

For sure, I confess that I started using it for it's shock value back in my early twenties. Unfortunately (or not depending on your pov) I'm now stuck with it and it's the first thing I think of when I see the police. But, like what happens when you swear all the time, the word loses a certain amount of it's power eventually.

Edit to add: And what is po po?

The BBC has a shot of a UK soccer ground with a line of yellow separating the fans:



I've seen a few people led away for rowdiness at hockey & lacrosse games ... but it's usually by two cops - never seen the need for an army of them yet.

Cop or even "police officer" seem to be the generic terms ...

and now you are using fershore! there is no helping you.

language can be powerful, these kinds of derogatory remarks/insults never bothered me too much, its a part of the job and you learn to accept it. however, there is a time and a place where quite rightly it should not be tolerated. if this kind of remark was thrown in my direction at a large family orientated event for instance, i should imagine there would be a certain expectation that i address it. ironically these very same people that may expect this, the respectable middle class, were often the worse for it. i always got far more respect from a thief than i did a speeding motorist in his BMW.

sorry saw the po po thing late. seems to be white wannabe gangsta and a native term mainly for the cops.

thats probably because of several things. 1. there is a real likelihood they will be shot or tasered indiscriminately if they do not comply, and they know they will have no recourse if this does happen. 2. there is only ever one or two of them, not hundreds if not thousands. 3. they are generally decent people who have got a bit carried away, not out and out hooligans intent on doing nothing but fight as they have been doing for the past 20yrs.

comparing hockey and lacrosse games with premiership football regarding trouble is like comparing two 89yr olds shagging to two 20yr olds. not much is going on in the first instance, and if it does its going to be slow, laborious and no one will want to watch it. compared to the other scenario where it will be fast, furious and with a crowd who all want to get involved.

I've never really dealt with the police and am far too cowardly to call them the filth to their faces. Though I might use it as banter with people I knew - a bit like, "rae's in the filth, why don't you ask him if you can shoot bears legally"

I know when I use it it's an affectation designed to shock the people I'm with (to this day my parents are appalled). Just that sometimes I now say it in polite company by accident... oops!

i doubt anyone will be really arsed, you may have started something though! i'll let you know if it gets this far east. no one has called me dibble, 5-o or the feds yet. salford shite was far cooler.

Certainly sums up soccer for me

The only people I have ever heard using this expression were wannabe gangstas in the UK

I know nobody is really arsed - it's a bit like saying twat to a nun.

I don't think it will catch on here anyways - there is (as you say) something quite british about it. dibble though - hmmm; 'yes darling, i know we're late, but dibble here is giving me a ticket instead of catching real criminals' - it could catch on

You know many of those do you - or do you really mean that you've seen Ali G on TV?

I wouldnt claim to "know" them but I have certainly met them.